Rehabilitation/Skilled Nursing

Patients include those with chronic or congenital conditions, post-injury (e.g. spinal cord, orthopedic, brain), or post-hospitalization (e.g. surgical, cardiac, respiratory, neuro) conditions. They may also be elderly (e.g., Alzheimer's patients.)

A nurse who specializes in this area may work in a variety of settings including inpatient rehabilitation units in acute-care hospitals, long-term care facilities, skilled nursing facilities (which care for individuals who require short- or long-term rehabilitative services and/or daily nursing care; they sometimes offer respite care or hospice care services), home healthcare, clinics, or with community or governmental agencies, insurance companies, HMOs, or educational institutions.

Contrary to common belief, nurses who work in rehabilitation or skilled nursing do not automatically "lose their acute-care skills." The need to make acute-care hospital beds available often means that quite acute patients are moved to rehabilitation or skilled nursing facilities for care.

In addition to registered nurses, the multidisciplinary team at skilled nursing and rehabilitation facilities includes LVNs/LPNs, nursing aides, therapists (e.g. PT, OT, speech, respiratory, recreation), social workers, dieticians, etc.

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